Back from Namibia (Finally finished!)

[Old man of the swamp]

Wonderful read. Fueled some old desires. What is your opinion on minimum bow weight and arrow weight for an Africa trip? These old shoulders aint what they used to be.

[Trad Man 25]

The problem is that once you have flown all the way there and paying day fees you cant be being picky on what tropys because of the Taxidermy fees. As we all now, we just whack what ever walks out, worry about taxidermy later,  
Now iv got 4 big skulls small horns   ,( Eland has a big head   ) 4 shields, and flat skins.
I ordered shields as i now if i don't those skulls will sit in a box for 10 years waiting for me to make shields.

When I saw the bill and shipping, and first thought was Holy C**p those things are staying there. Then when I told my brother, mother sisters ect about it they all told me the same thing. In 30 years time when i have my big Red  wooden house in Sweden. Ill regret not paying money now, to have some cool tropys up on my wall for the rest of my days.

So just going to have to bite the bullet. Yer its annoying but you only earn money so you can spend it:)

And lets face it, its not stooping my planning on putting another trip together. For bigger tropys, Kudo next time,  

James,

PS im really excited for the mounts, just supper stressed that they give me the right once, they get me the wrong skulls, im going to be on a war path  

[Trad Man 25]

Old man of the Swamp, I was shooting a 60lb Silvertip, and passed though every thing i shot.  Now i don't really get in to this EFOC,Single Bevel Ashby stuff. I'm sure one day i will use it when i go after big stuff, but plains game i don't think its nessesery. And if you hit the shoulder of plains game, with or with out EFOC etc, it aint going to make a difference your arrow still isent going any where.
My arrows were nothing special, under 600grains,

I dont now about shooting with low poundage, personally don't understand why people would spend a couple of years saving for a hunting trip, and then not shoot a proper bow. I completely understand when im a bit older my shoulders wont work so good, but instead of wounding animals ill just shoot compund bow.

You just have to make a choice if your a responsible hunter and will put a clean harvest in front of your day dreams of hunting with a stick and sting. If your bow and shoulders are not up to the job, Just use a compound. Then you now thte job will get done.

After all were still bow hunters and should all stick together show every one that were responsible and put a clean harvest our main priority when choosing equipment.

     

James

[Old man of the swamp]

James I have no problem with compounds, just trying to find out where that minimun threshold might be and when to make that kind of decision. I gather from what you have said about your equipment and shot placement that I would still be O.K. with what I shoot. I would just need to pick my arrow weight up some and get used to that.
By the way, Plains game is big stuff if 125# average weight deer is what you are use to.

Ronnie

[Trad Man 25]

Ronni, Yes every one in the group were shooting similar setups, cant remember any one shooting below 55lbs. And all the problems with not retrieving animals was to do with shot placment, when we hit them in the right place they came down.

So if you have a reasonable arrow, well chosen Broad head , quiet bow and a bit of luck, I'm sure you'll be lagthing.    


James

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Great read! Thank you for sharing!

[straitera]

Feels like I went along. Good job with the stories & descriptions; the pH you couldn't pay to shutup, farting Dixie, trophy shipping!   Funny!

[jonsimoneau]

Rob, those are great stories.  I felt like I was there....probably because I WAS there...the year before anyway.  My favorite blind was Kudu Post.  I killed a nice warthog , a kudu cow, and a moster Eland from that blind.  That trip was one of my favorites, largely because I was shooting very well.  I killed 6 animals and double lunged every one.  However, I did shoot a springbok too low that we did not recover.  I've been to both south africa and Namibia, and overall I think I prefer Namibia.